Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. (left), Senator Imee Marcos (PPAB, Facebook)

House Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. says the plan to revisit discussions on  Charter change (Cha-cha) isn't meant to accommodate someone who wants to become prime minister of the Philippines. 

"Wala po, wala akong naririnig na prime minister. Wala kaming pinag-uusapang prime minister (Nothing, I haven't heard about a prime minister. We're not talking about a prime minister)," Gonzales told reporters in a chance interview Wednesday, Dec. 13. 

A day earlier, Gonzales reiterated the House of Representatives' intention to pursue Cha-cha anew next year, as peviously pitched by Speaker Martin Romualdez. 

This announcement caused Senator Imee Marcos to ask in jest, "Baka may gustong mag-prime minister na hindi manalo sa presidente (Maybe someone who can't win as president wants to become prime minister)." She didn't mention any name. 

A prime minister or premier is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. He or she is the de facto administrator of a country, despite the existence of a monarch or president. 

This does not apply to the Philippines under its current form of government. And according to Gonzales, there are no plans to tweak the 1987 Constitution just to create the post of prime minister. 

At any rate, the high-ranking solon says he personally wants to see amendments to the political provisions in the Charter, particularly on term limits of elected officials, on top of the clamor for economic revisions. 

"Basta’t kung politics ang pinag-uusapan, yung akin, term limits na five years and two terms. Tapos may re-election lang ang presidente, kamukha ng vice president, para with continuity. Lagi kong sinasabi sa inyo, the continuity," Gonzales said. 

(When it comes to political amendments, my preference is a term limit of five years, with a maximum of two terms. Like the vice president, the president may seek reelection for the purpose of continuity. I always tell you about the importance of continuity.) 

Gonzales is the second highest ranking member of the House, next only to Speaker Romualdez. --with reports with Dexter Barro II